Love Always, Rory
by purplePhenomena
Summary: Rory Black never knows what's coming next. Trying to deal with the crazy boys she calls her best friends, her heritage, and her hormones, the world can get a little crazy. James S. Potter is her anchor, but what about when he's a part of the chaos too?
1. A Friend and her Past

**Author's Note: This story is compliant with my other stories, which anyone who has read them will be able to figure out. **

Rory Black was that girl. The one that every girl wants to be, the one that every guy wants to be with. Tall, with shiny, shoulder-length, dark brown hair, she was easily considered beautiful. Her eyes were the most attractive part about her. They were light gray, molten like silver, with just a hint of blue in just the right light.

James Potter knew the exact lighting that made that blue come out in her eyes, what made her laugh, and what made her mad.

They had met the second day of first year.

Rory had been standing in front of the common room fire, wishing to see her grandmother's head appear in it, when she had been bowled over by a blur. The blur reformed itself into the shape of James S. Potter. She had never spoken to him before, but she knew who he was. Of course she did. Everyone did.

"Oh," said the disheveled boy. "Sorry 'bout that. Didn't see you there."

Rory stared at him.

"Maybe you should get your eyes checked, then. I'm perfectly visible."

James smirked. "I like you. My name is James-"

"Potter." Rory cut him off before he could finish his name. "I know."

"What's your name?"

"Lorlei. But you can call me Rory."

"Well, then, Miss Rory, may I escort you down to breakfast?" he held out his hand in a gallant gesture. Rory rolled her eyes and stalked past him, ignoring his outstretched hand.

She was halfway down the hallway outside the portrait when James Potter caught up to her. He persisted on bugging her all the way to breakfast, and then sitting beside her in every class. By the end of the day, they were inseparable.

It was the summer after first year when James received a letter inviting him and Fred to Rory's house for a week. Both happily agreed.

"Oh my." Ginny said as she stood on the front walk of the house. It was a fairly normal sized house, but there was a faint air of mystery and intrigue that surrounded the cross-timbered house with its own private wood, berry bushes, and still green pond. James was ecstatic. Ginny went to ring the door bell, but the door opened before she could touch it. A woman stood at the doorway. She was in her late fifties, with long blonde hair, heavily streaked with gray. Her eyes were wide and blue. They seemed sad, but still innocent as a child's. She smiled.

"Hello. My name is Cassieopia Black. I'm Rory's grandmother. You must be James and Fred, yes?"

The boys nodded shyly. Suddenly, a dark head shot out from around the woman. Rory, wearing a sundress and a huge grin, screamed "James! Fred!" The Boys grinned and immediately followed Rory further into the house, leaving Ginny alone with this woman.

"Um. Your house is quite lovely." Said Ginny awkwardly. Cassieopia turned around and laughed. "Oh, dear. You seem so uncomfortable. I don't bite. Come in, have a cup of tea."

Ginny smiled awkwardly. "Thank you, Mrs Black." Cassieopia's head shot up. Her head whirled around. Ginny was startled. Cassieopia's face was shocked and wary, as well as a bit sad. She relaxed after a moment.

"I'm sorry, dear, its just that I haven't been called Mrs Black in a very long time. Mrs Black was my husband's mother. You can call me Cassi."

Ginny nodded. She followed Cassi down a long corridor, evidently leading to the kitchen. She passed Wizarding photos on the walls. There was a much younger-looking Cassi, holding a two year old boy. There was a man and a woman in a wedding picture, and one of the same man and woman holding a baby Rory. There were many pictures of Rory, riding bikes, or eating ice cream, or just laughing. Most seemed to have been taken at another house.

"Cassi, if you don't mind me asking, why are you raising Rory?"

Cassi's shoulder's sank. "My son and his wife were killed two years ago. Rory came to live with me after that."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. They were Aurors, they knew what they were getting into. It was a hard transition on Rory, I think. You see, Alessander, my son, and his wife lived in France, so moving here was hard for Rory."

"Yes, I imagine so. What was your son's wife's name?"

"Morgaine. She was a very pretty woman, very sweet. He met her at Beauxbatons."

"Your son went to school in France?"

"Yes, because I lived there at the time. I'm British, but when I found out I was pregnant with Alex, I moved to France. After he was married, I moved back, to be closer to my old roots."

Ginny was thinking. A sneaking suspicion was crawling up her spine. She had a hunch about who this woman was.

"How old was Alex when he died?"

"He was only 33."

33. That was one year younger than Harry, meaning that the timing could be right. The last name, the story, they all fit.

"Cassi, if you don't mind me asking, was your husband Sirius Black?"

Cassi looked out the window.

"Yes."

Rory screamed as James dumped her into the Black Lake. She surfaced seconds later, ready to kill. James could hardly move for his laughter, and was taken by surprise when Rory pulled him in after her. It was just after the second year finals, and everyone was partying.

Fred was chatting with a few girls on the banks by the willow tree. He rolled his eyes at his best friends' antics. Rory spouted water at James, who promptly splashed her. Victoire lazily wandered over to Fred. She whispered,

"Five Galleons says they're together before the end of fifth year."

Fred looked up.

"You're on."

The cousins shook hands.


	2. Reunions and Potential

**Author's Note: So, obviously, this isn't a oneshot. It will be a whole story, I'm just lazy. **

Rory Black sighed and leaned back against the red velour seat. Another summer had passed her by, and now it was time to go back to school. She had been going to Hogwarts for all of three years, and this was to be her fourth. She pulled her shoulder length brown hair, playing with the ends. She fidgeted restlessly in her seat as she waited to see the familiar face of James S. Potter out the window.

James, or Jas, as she called him, was her best friend. Fred Weasley came in a close second, but recently he had been too concerned with Amalia Thomas to really pay much attention to her and James.

Rory stood up, pacing. The compartment door slid open, and Rory looked up, excited for a second, before realizing it was just Roxanne.

"Oi, Rory, have you seen my cousin?" she asked.

Rory rolled her eyes.

"Which one?"

It was a valid question. There were seemingly endless supplies of Weasley cousins. Rory was proud to say she knew them all. They frequently visted her and her grandmother at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, where they lived.

Grimmauld Place technically belonged to Harry, but he told her grandmother, again and again, that if Sirius had known she was alive, he would have left it to her. Rory didn't really care. She had never known her grandfather, although he seemed like a nice man from her grandmother's descriptions, and she learned about him in History of Magic.

Rory was snapped out of her thoughts by Roxanne's disgusted grunt and the compartment door slamming shut. Rory sighed, dropping onto the seat. Life just wasn't fun without James around.

Rory pouted, unable to really sit still. Biting back a scream of frustration, she stood up and stalked out of the compartment. She bulldozed down the halls, sending younger kids sprawling right and left.

At 14, Rory was tall for her age, and she used it to her advantage. James was only half an inch taller than her, which was something she rubbed in his face. Victoire always told her to rub it in while she could, because boys grew quickly. Her eyes were steel gray in the sunlight corridor. They lit up as they lighted upon the unmistakable red hair of a Weasley.

"OI."

The redhead looked up, his brown eyes wide with the fear of someone who is doing something they weren't supposed to. Rory grinned.

"Long time, no see, eh, Freddie-boy?"

The next second she was no longer on her feet because Fred Weasley had bulldozed into her, knocking her straight down onto the compartment floor.

"OOF"

Fred Weasley grinned his familiar, mischievous grin at his downed friend, who only raised an eyebrow in response.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? And why wasn't I invited?"

Rory started up at this new voice. She promptly threw Fred off of her and flung her arms around the newcomer's neck. James Potter staggered back a few steps as the full weight of his all time best friend hit him. Rory squeezed James' tanned neck so tight he thought he was going to choke. She finally released him and stepped back a few steps.

"Wow, Rores, glad to see me much?"

Rory only smiled in response.

"You know she is, Jamie-O, she hasn't seen you for a whole month. This must be, like, the longest time she's ever been without her darling little Jamsie-Wamsie, now wouldn't it-"

He was cut off by two sharp slaps to the back of his head.

"Fred, shut up." James and Rory chorused.

Darkness was falling as the three sat in their compartment, reading, in Rory's case, or playing Exploding Snap, in James and Fred's case. The door was slid open, and a small face was stuck into the compartment. Fred met the said face with a wide smile.

"Alice Longbottom, where have you been hiding yourself on this lovely trip?"

Alice stepped fully into the compartment. For a fourteen year old, she was small, and delicate, with a button nose and wide brown eyes. Her golden brown curls hung just past her shoulders, and she bit her lip as she took a few steps into the compartment.

"It was just fine, Freddie."

Fred and Alice continue into a long conversation about their summers. James and Rory exchanged a glance. It was common knowledge to them that Fred had harbored a crush on Alice since he had first seen her. Rory raised an eyebrow. She didn't know if Alice liked Fred, because she wasn't great friends with the girl.

Darkness had fully fallen by the time they reached the Great Hall for the feast.

Several weeks later, Rory was sitting alone on her bed in the dorm when Alice came bursting in, blushing furiously. Rory looked up at the shorter girl.

"Alice, where's the fire?"

The petite girl looked up.

"Oh, nowhere."

She anxiously sat on her bed, practically bouncing up and down. Rory shrugged and turned back to her reading.

"Oh, Rory, can you keep a secret?"

Rory looked up, smiling in triumph.

"Of course I can."

Alice bit her lip, then smiled.

"Well, this afternoon, after lunch, Fred asked me to go to the library with him. I agreed, and then we walked together. But we stopped outside the library, and, oh Rory, he asked me out!" Alice squealed.

Rory just smiled.

"He's liked you since first year, I hope you know."

Alice's eyebrows shot into her hairline.

"NO! Really?"

Rory nodded.

"Wow."

Rory bit her own lip, then looked up at Alice.

"Alice, if you don't mind me asking, how did you know you liked Fred?"

Alice looked up curiously.

"You mean you've never had a crush before?"

Rory shook her head. Alice continued.

"Well, its simple. Every time he was near me, he made me blush. He gave me butterflies, and I couldn't stop thinking about him. I started going out of my way to see him, and I always wanted to hang out with him more than anyone else. I couldn't help but laugh at what he said. I don't know, I just liked him. Its hard to explain. If you have a crush, you'll know."

With that, Alice stood up and made her way to the door.

"We'd better go if we want to be on time for class."

Rory nodded.

Rory didn't actually go to class. Instead, she walked out to the Quidditch pitch. Her head was spinning, and she couldn't think straight. Every time she tried to focus, Alice's words would come creeping back in.

Rory had a reason to dwell on them. Every time she thought of James' face, she felt not warm, but hot inside. Almost uncomfortably hot. And it wasn't butterflies in her stomach; it was more like writhing snakes. Lately, every time James' skin brushed hers, she would get an electric shock. She seemed more aware of him then she did of anyone else. He made her laugh, and blush, and do all the things Alice had described.

Could she have a crush on James?


	3. Conversations and Helping

Rory Black tried to stifle a giggle as yet another airplane hit Justin McLaggen in the back of the head. She turned to see James similarly involved. He smirked at his long time best friend. The sixth year had been good to Rory. It was only October, and already, Rory had dates every weekend until Christmas. You would have thought James would have been jealous of his best friend, but he could never have seen Rory as more than just a friend.

"Ahhhh. Another lunch, perfectly made."

Fred Weasley looked up from his spoon, which had been shoveling food into his mouth as fast as possible.

"Don't tell me you're done, Rores, you barely ate anything!"

Rory looked incredulously at the tan redhead.

"I ate two servings of everything!"

James tutted.

"Only two? Rory, what's to become of you?"

Rory threw her hands into the air.

"BOYS."

Standing up, she turned to James, who had returned to his former activity of using his spoon to fling carrots at the Slytherins.

"Jamie, if you ever finish lunch, come meet me in the Library."

With James' nod as assurance, Rory swept out of the Great Hall, books slung under her arm, unaware of the glance she got as she walked.

Fred smirked at James. James had gone back to shoveling food into his mouth as quickly as possible.

"James."

James looked up, puzzled. Fred rolled his eyes. James merely looked more quizzical. Fred opened his eyes really wide and made leading gestures after Rory. James just shook his head and looked confused. Fred finally gave up and began smacking his head repeatedly against the table. James tilted his head until his face was even with Fred's.

"Fred…..mind telling me what you're doing?"

Fred looked up, glaring, at his friend.

"Are you SERIOUS?"

James smirked.

"Well, that is my middle name."

Alice, who had taken that minute to come sit next to Fred, replied.

"Jamsie, that joke was old in the 70's."

James sighed.

"You people. You will never understand my pain. Anyways, what were you saying, Fred?"

Fred cast a nervous glance at his longtime girlfriend. Alice glanced up from her potatoes.

"Oh, don't mind me, I have to study."

Fred nodded and scooted away from her, as if he was afraid her smartness and drive would rub off on him.

"Jamie-Boy, don't you see?" he began, at a whisper.

"See what?" James was confused.

"ARGH." Said Fred.

He took a deep breath, then continued.

"Jamie, I've sent he way she looks at you."

"Who, Alice?"

"No, not Alice."

"Cause you know she would never cheat on you."

"Not Alice!"

"I know, she's so faithful! I would never help her cheat, either, she's like a sister to me!"

"James." Fred grabbed James' shoulders. "THIS ISN'T ABOUT ALICE!"

Half the hall fell silent at Fred's outburst. From across the Hall, he could even see Ellie and Scorpius Malfoy with cocked heads. He groaned, then continued at a whisper.

"Now James, I'm not the most emotionally in tune, but I think Rory may have a crush on you."

James' jaw dropped open.

"NO. No way, that's impossible! That would be like having a crush on my sister!"

All this was said very loudly, so that Lily stared down the table at James. He shook his head.

"That's impossible. Rory, she's got dates lined up 'til Christmas!"

Alice chose that moment to lean over.

"Ever thought it could be t make you jealous?"

James looked down as Fred glared at Alice.

"Alice…"he started.

"What? Half the Hall knows what you're talking about! I'm sitting next to you! I would've heard, even if I wasn't interested!"

Fred and Alice continued to bicker.

James stood up, carefully collected his books, and set off for the Library.

As his feet found the familiar marble steps, he thought about what Fred had said. Was it possible Rory liked him? If he was truly honest with himself, he had to admit that she was very, very pretty, beautiful even, and that most boys did drool over her. He frowned as he passed the suits of armor.

He hadn't even ever thought about Rory as more then a best friend, but now that that door was open, there was no going back. James was hooked. He could see it, in his head. He could see them, together. It would be like nothing changed, except admitting he was in love with her.

James froze at that last thought. ADMITTING he was in love with her? He shook his head. If he continued down this line of thought, he'd fool himself into thinking he was in love with her.

He needed to stay neutral, and examine the situation, and then make a decision. His grandmother's logic did, occasionally, kick in. for the moment, he would just go to the library.

He hesitantly walked past the stacks of books, carefully searching every table for the familiar shiny hair. Oh, great. Now he was thinking of her hair as shiny. Focus, James.

He finally found her, tucked away into a corner in the back of the Library. It was isolated, with only two chairs. Stacks of books were piled up, surrounding the girl who was diligently working there. She sighed as she turned another page.

"Rory."

She started up, screaming shrilly.

"Oh, God, Jamie, you scared me!"

James rubbed his ear ruefully.

"Yeah, I kind of noticed."

Rory blushed.

"Sorry."

James couldn't help noticing that her cheeks looked very soft and warm, bright pink as they were, and they made her gray eyes glow.

He swung the only chair out, sitting in it before propping his feet up on the table.

'So, Rores, what's the deal?"

"Hmmm?" she answered, not looking up from her essay.

"Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

That made her look up.

"I was going to ask you for help on my DADA essay, but then I thought you probably weren't coming, so I got some books to help."

James looked put out.

"You mean I came all the way out here for nothing?"

"Not for nothing, you get to spend time with your favorite girl!"

James nodded.

"This is true."

He stood up.

"Let's see if I ca help my favorite girl, then."

He walked around the table to stand behind her. He knelt by the table, almost eyelevel with the essay.

"I don't think that's going to help, Jamie."

He looked up, and swore that his heart stopped. She really was beautiful. Her gray eyes were laughing at him, and her pink lips were curled into a slight smile. Her little nose was wrinkled at him. He swallowed, then turned back to the essay.

"So, the first thing when you fight werewolves without your wand is, of course, to not get bitten…."

James could tell that this period was going to be a long one.


	4. Late Nights and Memories

Rory watched James work. He happened to glance over at her, eyes training on her eyes. She felt the familiar twinge, and, surprisingly, saw James blush a little.

She wondered, for a spilt second, if it was possible that James might have a crush on her, but then she shoved the thought from her head. James didn't return her feelings, and she was comfortable with that. She had realized it last summer, when she was staying with James and Fred at the old Potter Mansion.

"_Jamie! Go!"_

_James rocketed towards the goal, Quaffle under his arm. He dove past Rose and Dom, and made it until he was facing Hugo at the hoops. The Potters had a Quidditch pitch in their back yard, built for Harry's grandfather in his youth. Now, it was where the majority of the Gryffindor team practiced over the summer holidays. _

"_Damn." Rose cursed._

"_Rosie! You shouldn't curse!" This was from a smiling Teddy Lupin, his arm casually draped around his pretty fiancé, Tori, or Victoire Weasley, as she was known to the magazines. Rose made a face back._

"_Bet you can't catch me!" This came from James, who had decided to race Rory. She made a face. she shouldn't have raced James, because everyone knew he was the fastest flier on the Gryffindor team, but she couldn't help herself. They shot off over the pitch. _

Rory winced as she remembered the outcome of that particular dare. Three broken ribs and a fractured wrist later, she had been sitting in the guest room when James had entered.

"_Jamie, are you okay?"_

_He grinned._

"_You stole my line. That's what I was going to ask!"_

_Rory rolled her eyes._

"_But I'm sure you already know I'm fine. Your aunt is one of the best Healers in the country."_

"_Maybe so, but how could I know for sure without checking on you?"_

_James moved to sit next to her bed. He leaned forward, leaning one arm against the headboard. Rory smiled._

"_I guess."_

_James grinned back._

"_I'm sorry, Rores. Didn't mean for you to get hurt, you know?"_

_She nodded. Then James did the unexpected. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. _

"_I don't know what I'd do without you, you're like the sister I never had."_

_Rory was numb, but she managed to roll her eyes and remind James that he did, in fact, have a sister. The rest of the holidays continued normally, but that conversation was always on Rory's mind. She was like a sister to him. It was then that she decided to put her crush on James to a rest forever. _

James snapped his fingers in front of Rory's face, bringing her back to the present.

"Oi, space case, the bell rang. Time to go."

Rory shook her head to dispel those thoughts. She stood up a bit to quickly and forgot that her bag was caught under the chair leg. She stumbled forward, but James caught her.

'Thanks." She whispered. She was blushing. Since when did she have to look up to see James' face? He seemed embarrassed too, so Rory hoped it was normal. She stood up and tried desperately to ignore her pounding heart.

James swallowed, then tried to still his heart before she could hear it. He had never realized how pretty Rory was.

"Bye, Jamie." Rory walked off.

"Oh, yeah, bye Rory!"

James sat down and buried his face in his hands. It was this way that Fred found him.

"Well? How'd it go?"

James looked up.

"Shouldn't you be in class?"

Fred shrugged.

"Shouldn't you?"

James groaned.

"You know what I realized, Fred? That Rory is possibly one of the hottest girls I've ever seen."

Fred started laughing.

"You're just realizing this now?"

James frowned.

"Why is that funny?"

"Cause, Jamie-boy, you're realizing now what every male at Hogwarts has known since they hit puberty."

James looked up, shocked.

"You mean other guys think Rory is hot?"

Fred rolled his eyes.

"Have you not noticed the continual stream of offers Rory had been getting?"

James shook his head.

"Damn, you really are clueless. If I were you, I'd ask Rory out before someone else does."

James looked up.

"You're right. I'll do it tonight."

Fred stared.

"You sure do change your tune fast. Just this morning you hadn't even ever thought about her like that."

"But I think I have. I think that's why I never dated anyone. Cause Rory was always better, but I didn't realize that."

Fred was skeptical.

"Whatever you say, man."


	5. Pranking and Fighting

**Author's Noter: this story is finally getting an update!**

Rory had never been more embarrassed in her entire life, and that was saying something.

Being friends with James Potter had its perks, and its pitfalls, and one of the pitfalls was that James assumed you were okay with him pranking you, and that everything would be fine. It was that line of thinking that landed Rory in the middle of the Great Hall, ketchup dripping down the back of her neck.

Now, normally, Rory wouldn't have minded. She would have gotten James back by charming his hair to be flat, or throwing something back. But not today, because today was one of the worst days of Rory's life. Today was the day she had gotten her letter.

So, she stood up, anger in her eyes, and stomped over to were James was sitting, laughing with Fred. Alice saw her coming and elbowed Fred and made a face. Rose, who Rory had been sitting with, had followed her over.

"How could you, James?" it was Rose who started in on him. Rory just stood there and let her, trying to fight the tears that were forming in her eyes. Halfway through Rose's tirade, Rory leaned over and punched James so hard his glasses broke. He sprawled across the floor, incredulity and pumpkin juice splashed across his face.

"Rory?" he asked. But she didn't reply. Instead, she walked away, head held high, the Slytherins cheering, as a number of girls descended on James.

James found her, sometime later, almost at curfew in fact, sitting in a window on the top floor.

"Rory?"

She just turned her back to him.

"Rory, I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. Or you wouldn't be, if it wasn't me. Don't you get it, James?"

"No, I don't get it. And maybe you're the one who should be saying sorry. Dear God, woman, you punched me. And for next to nothing!"

"You charmed a ketchupy fry to paint my hair! I'd say that's something to be angry about!"

"I've done it before!"

"I know! That's the problem! You walk around here, acting like you own the place, just because you're Harry Potter's kid, and everyone knows you! And you get away with it too! I just can't stand watching you act like this anymore. I thought you would have grown up by now."

"Jesus, Rores, we're only 16! I'm not supposed to be an adult yet!"

"But you could at least act like one! What if you never get a chance to grow up, James? What if you're next?"

"What if I'm next to what?"

But Rory didn't answer. She dissolved into tears.

James was horrified. Rory never cried, not when she broke bones, not when Bludgers hit her, or the Slytherins taunted her, or even when they talked about her parents. James didn't know what to do with a crying Rory.

"Rory, I-I'm sorry, I never meant to-"  
"No, James. You never mean to. But it happens anyways. How many people do you think you've made cry in the past six years? More than you'd guess, I'll tell you that!"

With that, she turned on heel and stalked away from him. As she walked away, a piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

As soon as she'd turned the corner, James bent to pick it up. it was a letter, addressed to Miss Lorlei Black. Nobody called Rory Lorlei, so James didn't know who it could possibly be.

_Miss Black,_

_We regret to inform you that, as of 6 am this Monday morning, your grandmother and caretaker, Cassieopia Alistar Sinclaire Black was found dead at her London residence. We regret to tell you, that, as you have no legal guardian, and you are not yet seventeen, you will be placed in a foster home. Mr Potter has offered you a place at his home. He was, I understand, a close friend of your grandmothers, and this has become the most preferred course of action. Mr Potter will fetch you from school on the 18th of this month for the clearing of Mrs Black's home._

_Our warmest condolences,_

_Deidre Bane,_

_Ministry of Magic_

James stared at the piece of paper he held before him in shock. Cassi was dead? Rory's grandmother, her anchor, was dead? No wonder Rory had been upset! James groaned and leaned his head against the wall. He slid down it until he sat, back facing the wall, staring at the portrait of a plump woman in a green dress. She gave him a smile.

He knew what he had to do, though. He had to really apologize, to swear not to do it again, to show her he was mature. Then maybe, just maybe, she might like him more.

"How could I be so stupid, Alice?"

Alice was at a loss as to how to deal with her crying friend. Normally, she was the one crying and Rory the one comforting, but now their roles were reversed, and Alice found she wasn't very good at this.

"Stupid how?"

"I actually liked him! And I even thought, for a second, that maybe he liked me back. But he's a bastard, a stupid, conceited, arrogant-"

"Rory, calm down. James is your best friend. It's a bad judgment on you if he's really all that bad."

Rory sobbed again.

"Sorry. I just think you're overreacting. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"He didn't. He told me."

"You saw him? What happened?"

"He tried to apologize…"

"Well, that's good!"

"And I blew up at him."

"that's not so good."

"I know. I just couldn't help it! I'm so tired of him acting all high and mighty. He thinks he can run around here, doing whatever he wants, having whatever girl he wants-"

"And here lies our real problem. Somebody's jealous…."

"I am not!"

"Oh, can it, you are and we both know it."

Rory went to bed that night with her head spinning, and confusion in her heart.


	6. Tears and Apologies

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is kinda short, but i promise, the next chapter is going to pick up...**

Rory wouldn't talk to James for a whole week. It was the longest they had ever gone without saying a word to each other. Or rather, the longest Rory had ever gone. James had said plenty to her, but she wouldn't say anything in response. Eventually, James gave up.

It had been almost a month since James and Rory had spoken when James had the shock of his life. It was Fred that told him. He had just come into their dorm room, sat down, and faced James.

"Man, She's going out with Lysander."

James looked up from his homework. He refused to work in the common room because there was a good chance of running into Rory.

"Who?"

Fred rolled his eyes.

"The only girl that has ever mattered to you, Jamie. Rory."

"Oh."

James stared at the page, tears beginning to burn his eyes. He nodded, then closed his curtains. Casting a Silencing charm, he stood on his bed and yelled. He threw his books and tore up parchment. Rory was going out with that scumbag Lysander, and he couldn't do a thing about it.

Later that evening, he sat alone under a tree by the lake. He had come to the conclusion that it was time to end this, one way or the other. This impasse was killing him. He needed to know how she felt, really. Friends or not, he needed to know.

"Rory?"

He found her sitting alone in the Library, working on yet another DADA essay.

"Hmm?" she replied without looking up.

"It's me."

Her head shot up, gray eyes piercing into his own brown ones.

"James." She whispered.

"I'm here."

With a sudden sob, she threw her arms around his neck and cried. James just held her, rubbing her back with one hand, the other stroking her hair.

Rory hadn't been able to stand it without James. She couldn't believe he had stopped caring and started ignoring her. But he had. She supposed she deserved it, but it hurt all the same.

So now she was crying into his shoulder, staining his shirt with her tears. James, for his part, was kind of shocked. Rory never cried. So now, twice in the same month? Was she really that attached to him? He smiled at that thought. He wanted her to need him, needed her to, even.

"I missed you." She whispered into his shirt.

"I missed you too, Rores."

It was like they had never been apart, Rory and James. Fred was worried about them, really, the amount of time they spent holed up together in the Library, talking about whatever came to mind.

"It's not healthy, really, if you think about it." He would complain to Alice. She would promptly tell him to shut up and get over it.


	7. Detention and Ideas

Lorelei Regulus Black had never laughed so hard in her entire life. She was sitting in detention, for a prank of course, but that didn't stop her from practically rolling on the floor with laughter. James glared at his best friend, thoroughly unamused.

"You want-hahahaha- my help to –hahahahaAHAHA- do WHAT?" she managed to gasp out.

"To woo the lady of my dreams, is that so difficult for you to understand?" James pouted.

"WOO!" Rory was practically screaming with laughter. Unfortunately, Professor McBride chose that moment to re-enter the classroom.

"Miss Black, Mr Potter, I do hope you have- Dear god, Miss Black! What's wrong with you?"

"She's laughing at me, sir."

"MISS BLACK."

Rory popped her head over the side of the desk, still red in the face from laughing.

"Unless Mr Potter has placed a strong Cheering Charm on you, which I would not put past him, I see no reason for you to be laughing in such a manner!"

"But Professor-"

"No buts, Miss Black. Explain yourself."

"Well, you see, I-"

"As I thought, no proper explanation. Detention."

"For laughing?"

"For disturbing the peace!"

Rory was rather annoyed with James after that. Not enough, however, to stop her from hanging out with him.

"Red, pass the ketchup."

Rory had a hand stuck in Fred's face, waiting for the ketchup to come into it. Fred grinned, took the spoon out of the ketchup and stuck it into Rory's hand. She briefly made a face at the unexpected squishiness, before rolling her eyes.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"I know."

Sighing, Rory set the ketchup spoon down before wiping her hand on Fred's hair.

"HEY!"

"You, quite literally, asked for it."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

It was, fortunately, at that moment that James chose to walk into the Great Hall. He sat down between them before their bickering turned into a full-out fight, which would have surely landed Rory in yet another detention.

"So, Rory, about the wooing-"

He was cut off by Rory, struggling to hold back her laughter.

"ANYWAYS, I was thinking, we could pretend to date to make her jealous-"

"Jamie say what?"

Rory was staring at him with a look of slight disbelief on her face.

"Why don't you just ask her out, Jamsie?"

"Cause I don't want to look like an idiot. You never tell a girl you like her, it makes you look like an idiot."

"Who told you that?"

"Teddy."

"Of course."

"What?"

"Never you mind."

"Well, will you help me?"

Rory tapped her chin, pretending to think about it.

"In a word? NO."

"Awh, come on Rores!"

"No."

it went that way for the rest of the day, James trying desperately to get her to pretend to date him, and Rory flat out refusing.

Eventually, eight o'clock found James sitting alone in the Library.

"Sitting alone, are we?" came a drawling voice.

James groaned and put his head on the table. When he looked up, he was surrounded by the Quartet of Ultimate Goody-two-shoesness, aka Rose, Scorpius, Ellie, and, to his ultimate displeasure, Albus.

"What do you want, little bro?"

Al made a face at being referred to as little, but sat down anyways.

"We wanted to know what the infamous James Potter was doing in the Library. Don't you know it might ruin your rep?"

James glared up at Scorpius Malfoy, who was smirking down at him. The look was ruined when Rose hit him upside the head.

"Ow, Rose, what was that for?"

"That was for being an insensitve lump who obviously…."

Rose's voice trailed off into the distance was she and Scorpius moved away, still arguing.

"So, James, what's the problem?"  
This came from Ellie. Ellie was James' favorite of his little brother's friends. She was just so…something. Something good.

"yeah, you see, it's a girl…"

"The infamous James Potter has a problem with a GIRL? Heaven forbid…"

James glared at Al, feeling he was doing a lot of glaring tonight.

"Not just any girl, I think." Ellie always had been the perceptive one.

"No, not just any girl. Rory. Ever since Fred told me she liked me, I can't help but see it. Can't help but see how…perfect? Transcendent? Angelic? Anyways, one of those."

"You got it bad, big bro."

"I need help!"

Ellie scoffed.

"Al can't help you, he's more helpless than you are."

James knew he liked Ellie for a reason.

Al shrugged.

"Date someone else."

"yeah, make her jealous!"

"Not exactly what I meant, but okay…"

"THANKS AL! THANKS ELLIE!"

This was distant, as James was already halfway out of the Library.


	8. Tonsil Hockey and Revenge

Rory hadn't known her eyes could go that far out of her head. But apparently, they could, because they were. The sight her eyes were nearly falling out of her head from was, after all, rather disgusting. James sat in the middle of the common room with Amalia Thomas on his lap. And they were, for lack of a better word, snogging.

James.

Amalia.

SNOGGING?

"What is wrong with the world?" Rory muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, I know," came the cheeky answer. "I always thought it'd be YOU sucking Jamie's face off."

Rory whirled around to face this intruder on her thoughts. Standing before her, in all her Ravenclaw glory, was Rose Weasley, cousin to the very same James Potter who was currently looking to make the Olympic tonsil hockey team.

"And why, Rosette, would you think that?"

"Because James is totally in love with you."

Rory raised an eyebrow. Brilliant, the girl might be, but off her rocker she surely was.

She hated to do it. She really did. But when things got bad like this, there was one person she could turn to. One person with an almost infinite knowledge of how to catch boys. No, not Victoire. Dia.

Dia, or rather, Media Lestrange, had been a seventh year when she was a first year. She had hated the tall, dark girl for many reasons, mostly trivial ones, but those reasons were hard to give up. Maybe it was because Dia was beautiful. Maybe it was because she was best friends with Teddy, Rory's childhood crush. Or maybe it was the fact her grandmother couldn't get over how similar Dia was to her mother.

Anyways, it was time to write Dia a little note.

_Dia,_

_I know, I know. I normally don't write you, but this is an EMERGENCY. I just walked into the common room and saw James trying to eat Amalia Thomas' face off. AMALIA THOMAS. You know how I can't stand her. Anyways, this is a problem. A major one. For reasons I believe we discussed over the summer. I hate to say it, but I need help._

_Rory B._

Rory hadn't really been expecting a prompt reply, but a prompt reply she got. The very next morning, there was Hesper, her owl, with a letter from Dia. She got up from the table, avoiding Fred and Louis, who were arguing over the last sausage, and James, with Amalia perched on his lap, and Lily, who was looking at her with those questioning eyes.

She had made it to her favorite spot, a ledge of a window on the sixth floor, down an almost deserted corridor. It was here she came to get away from everyone, and here she came to read her letters.

_Rory,_

_Now, I can't say for sure, because darling little Jamsie is a bit fickle, but I would say it's all a decoy tactic. If he never mentioned her before, then you can bet your best heels that he is trying to make someone jealous. And, from the tone of your letter, I would say it's working. Just continue to ignore him, and he'll stop. Or better yet, go out with someone else. Just some thoughts._

_Dia L._

Rory stared at the letter. Her, jealous? Not a possibility. But making James jealous, now that was something she could have fun with…

If you wanted to make someone jealous, and you went to Hogwarts and were a fifth year or above, you went to one person. Louis Weasley. Despite his Weasley last name, Louis was blond. And buff. And beautiful. A seventh year, he could break hearts with a single smile. And, he spoke FRENCH. How romantic can you get? Rory rolled her eyes. At least, that's what the girls in her dorm room oozed on about. Rory didn't really see what was so special about him. Sure, he was cute, but he was nothing interesting to look at.

Many girls stalked Louis in the Library. Rory had the advantage of being friends with him, so she didn't have to. She just walked right up to him.

"Hey Louis."

The blond glanced up from his homework.

"Oh, hey Rory. Didn't expect to see you here. Thought you'd be off with Jamie like usual. But I guess it's hard to do that without the Leech hanging on."

Rory raised an eyebrow and smirked. Louis was good.

"Yes, well, that's what I want to talk to you about."

"You're jealous."

"Have you been talking to Dia?"

"And he's in love with you, obviously."

"Have you been talking to Rose?"

"And you're in love with him."

"Have you been talking to…okay, that one I will admit."

Louis smirked.

"Good. That makes this easier. I assume, from the fact you came to talk to me, that you want to make little Jamsie jealous?"

Rory hung her head.

"You're good, Lou."

"I know."

By the end of their time in the Library, they had it all worked out. They had enlisted the help of Alice and Fred, and were ready to commence Operation Entitlement. Rory wasn't so sure about the name, but Fred had made it up, and he always came up with the names.

James had better buckle up and hold on tight.


	9. Missions and Threats

The plan was set. In order for it to work, several very convoluted things had to happen almost simultaneously. Now, everyone knew that Amalia Thomas had had the hugest crush on Louis since the beginning of practically forever, and they were going to exploit that fact.

They being the Team of Complete and Total Awesome Bro-ness, as Fred had dubbed them, despite the fact two of them were girls. Alice had objected, but no one could argue with Fred. He just wasn't sane enough.

"Phoenix feather come in, Phoenix feather, do you read me?"

Rory rolled her eyes. Fred was way, way too into this, with the code names and the operation names, and the pretending to be on walkie-talkies when he was really just whispering at her from the next suit of armor over.

"Yes, Fred, I hear you loud and clear."

"Rory! Code names during operations, do you want us to get caught?"

"You just called me Rory."

"That's beside the point."

"Fine. Red bird, I hear you loud and clear, now would you please kindly shut up, I'm trying to listen?"

Fred groused about it for a while before settling into a kind of stupor. James rounded the corner, and Rory held her breath. Sure enough, Amalia Thomas followed, clinging onto his hand.

In the library, Louis was bent over his books once again, only this time, accompanied by Alice.

"Louis?"

He glanced up into the bright green eyes of his cousin, Al.

"What is it?"

"I've done a bad thing."

"Hmm?"

"Well, you see, I kind of, well, I sort of, it was unintentional, but I –"

"What he's trying to say," said Rose, stepping out from behind a shelf, "Is that he's made a mistake."

Louis had jumped at Rose's sudden appearance.

"Jeez, woman! Don't do that! Do you want me to have a heart attack?"

Rose smirked.

"What Al was failing miserably to confess to was that he accidentally planted the idea of making Rory jealous by dating another girl into James' head."

Louis went pale.

"Oh god. We need to call off the operation, NOW!"

James had been looking to find a nice corner with Amalia when Louis ran, helter-skelter, into him. They both landed with a loud thump. Amalia started screaming and she ran off when Louis stood up and glared at her. Fred sprang out from his hiding place.

"Louis!" he hissed, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving this one from himself."

With that, he threw James up against the wall, pinning him there with his forearm.

"James," hissed the older boy, under his breath so Rory couldn't hear, "Al told me what he did. And it's incredibly stupid of you to listen to him, even if he is your brother."

James just stared at Louis. It was then that Rory chose to emerge from behind the suit of armor. James stared at her.

"Were you snogging Fred? Cause that's sure what this looks like."

Fred smacked him upside the head.

"No, you dolt, we are on a mission. Well, WERE on a mission, until Mister I'm-such-a-goody-two-shoes-that-I-can't-even-stand-some-simple-revenge over here had to go and ruin it."

"A mission?" asked James, thoroughly confused.

"A mission," replied Rory, drawing the three cousin's eyes to her, "But it was stupid. Forget about it."

With that, Rory turned around with tears in her eyes. James stared after her.

"What did I do?"

He quivered under the other two's glares.

The next morning, at breakfast, the doors were thrown open by none other than Media Bellatrix Lestrange herself. Boys stared, girls glared, and James gulped. If Dia was here, things were not good. The dark haired woman marched past the staring students and straight up to the Headmistress.

"Headmistress, a word. And with you, Professor Gooding."

With that, the intimidating witch strode out of the hall with those two in her wake. James glanced over at Rory, who smirked back, no trace of tears now.

Later that day, in the last period before lunch, in fact, James, Fred, Alice, and Rory had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Alan Gooding. The Professor was young and good looking, and had most of the girls, fifth year and above, completely and utterly charmed, including Rory and Alice. Which, naturally, made all the boys hate him.

But today they were in for a little surprise as they trickled into the Defense classroom. Standing at the front of the room, deep in conversation with Professor Gooding, was Dia Lestrange. Of course, most people didn't know that, but Rory knew that Professor Gooding had gone to school with Dia and Teddy, in the year above them, and she knew why Dia was here.

"Good afternoon, class. Today I would like to introduce our guest lecturer. Miss Media Lestrange is currently working at the Auror office, and has come to talk to those interested in being Aurors about the reality of their work."

The class was long. Dia was a good speaker, but it was long. Rory was doodling on a sheet of paper, drawing a snitch, then a broomstick, then a cartoonish portrait of Fred, who was sitting at the table in front of her. She smirked as her newest drawing took shape under her hands. It was a boy, a boy with messy dark hair, riding on a broomstick, Quaffle under his arm. She then decided the boy was all too familiar and drew a look of horror on his face, and then a section of the stands for him to crash into.

After class, James was standing up to leave when Dia called to him.

"Mr. Potter, a word."

James nodded and waited for the rest of the class to finish filing out of the room. Then he descended to where Dia was leaning against the desk. Every time he saw her, he was unnerved by her eyes. He had seen pictures of Bellatrix Lestrange, Dia's mother, and she had the exact same eyes. There was just a spark of madness in them, dancing and elusive, but there, all the same.

"Yeah, Dia?"

"James. Jamie James James. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"….what do you mean?"

"Rory wrote me last night. She was literally in tears, and she explained exactly what was going on. And now, I've come to beat some sense into you."

"uh…."

"Don't worry, I don't mean literally beat, but rather, metaphorically."

Dia lead James over to the nearest desk, where the two sat.

"Now James, Rory is some sort of cousin to me, and yes, we have had our differences, hell, we still do. But what you need to understand is that what you're trying to do is not helping. Dating someone else just to make Rory jealous is not an appropriate action to take, and I'm warning you, if you don't stop, I'm going to tell your mother."

James paled. Amalia Thomas had been dumped by the end of lunch.


	10. Hands and Flying

**Author's Note: This may well be the last chapter, unless people want me to continue into their relationship, up until it reaches the point where Sincerely, Stuck in the Past starts. we'll see.**

Rory was sitting in the common room, anxiously waiting for James. Everyone else was in class, but surely James would have noticed that she wasn't at lunch. And hopefully, he would think to look up here. If he didn't, Fred would tell him to go looking for her.

She was sitting in her favorite chair, back to the portrait hole, staring into the merrily roaring fire that was the only source of light besides the windows. It threw her hands into relief, and she examined them, gray eyes flitting over the skin.

Her hands were like her mother's. They were her one feature that was not permeated with the Black looks. Her eyes, her hair, her height, he coloring, they were all mementos of a grandfather she had never met, and a father she could hardly remember anymore. Her face was that of her grandmother's, though, Sinclaire features on an otherwise obviously Black face.

It reminded her of Dia, really. The Black features on her cousin were clear and unmarred. The high, angular cheekbones, the big, wide set eyes, the narrow face, the straight nose and the pouty lips were all one hundred percent Black.

Thinking about Dia, of course, only reminded her of the problem at hand, and she jerked her thoughts away from that line of thinking. She continued her study of her hands. They were small, with normal fingers and small palms, graceful and slender. They were dancer's hands. She thought of the many times her mother had picked her up and spun her around the room in a merry sort of dance, singing in French the entire time. She remembered her favorite song, the one her mother had sung to her when she went to sleep.

She sang a little snippet of the song, her favorite line.

"On demande pas la lune…" she trailed off. She didn't demand the moon when she asked for Jamie to love her, did she? She really didn't think so. It felt natural, with all the pieces fitting.

"Rory?" came a whispered voice.

She started.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Rores."

"Hi, James."

James frowned, though she couldn't see it.

"Why do you call me James now? Before it was always Jamie, or Jamsies or some sort of nickname."

Rory sighed.

"I don't know James. It just felt right then."

"And it doesn't now?"

Rory shook her head, fighting back tears, before remembering he couldn't see her.

"No, James. It doesn't."

James gulped before making his decision. He crossed the room in a few steps and scooped Rory up in his arms. She gasped and clung onto his shirt as he picked her up. He sat back down in the armchair, now with her in his lap.

"Rory." He took her face in his hands. "Tell me what's wrong."

Rory's breathing was speeding up. Her heart was racing. She was so close to him. All she had to do was lean in and kiss him, and then everything would be explained. But his hands and her fear held her back.

"Rory, I'm serious. Please tell me."

"James, I can't."

"Why not? We tell each other everything. We're best friends."

Rory closed her eyes, her eyelashes brushing his thumb, and unknowingly sent shivers up his spine.

"I can't tell you this, Jamie. I just can't."

James nodded his head, then pulled her against him. Unthinkingly, he kissed the top of her head. He rocked her back and forth gently as the tears started to flow from her eyes. In seconds she was sobbing into his shirt as he rubbed circles into her back.

"I'm s-s-sorry, James," she muttered.

"It's okay, love. I promise, whatever it is, it's going to be okay."

Rory glanced up at him, gray eyes wide and trusting, and he felt his heart lurch. He steeled himself for her possible reaction, sucked up all his Gryffindor courage, and leaned forward. Slowly, he leaned into her, one hand at her cheek, the other around her waist. He could hear her breathing quicken, and he smiled slightly. Maybe she wanted this too.

He paused, barely an inch from her lips, and smiled to himself. Then, using the last of his courage, he pressed his lips to hers.

It was like nothing else, Rory decided. Like nothing else in the world. It felt like flying, and it felt like being home. He gently ran his tongue along her bottom lip, encouraging her to open her mouth, but not forcing her to. There would be plenty of time for that later. Now, it was all sweetness.

When she could barely breathe, Rory broke the kiss. She smiled at James, and rested her head against his forehead. She felt at home. She felt complete. She felt perfect, like nothing could go wrong, like nothing could touch her.

Of course, Fred chose that moment to barge in, arguing with Alice, and they instantly shot their heads up, but the secret smile that passed between them was enough.


	11. Happy Endings

The entire school was in an uproar. Girls were crying, some boys were crying, and there were quite a few glares going around. The reason? Simple. It had become public knowledge that Rory Black and James Potter were dating.

When Professor McGonagall heard the news, she paled. The thought of two of the Marauder's genes, combined, was just too much for her.

When Fred heard the news, he cheered. So what that his plan hadn't worked out the way he intended it to? It had worked in the end, and Rory and Jamie got together.

When Alice heard the news, she squealed. It was a long, high-pitched, drawn out sort of squeal that left most people within earshot covering their ears.

When Rose heard the news, she rolled her eyes and went to go collect her Galleons from Scorpius.

When Ginny heard the news, she sighed. The first of her baby boys, all grown up and dating a girl. A very sweet girl, mind, and one of her very favorites, a girl she treated like her own child, but still. Little Jamie was dating a girl.

When Harry heard the news, he smiled. The thought of his father and his godfather, smiling down on the match, was a welcome one. He thought, with a laugh, it was truly a match made in heaven, because he was sure that James and Sirius had had this planned.

All this commotion, however, was lost on Rory and Jamie. They were in their own little world, wrapped up in each other. Of course, it wasn't long before they started to fight:

"I did not!"

"You did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

Or long before they started to make up again:

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

It was bliss, for a while. Then it was normal, but deep in each of their hearts, they both knew that they loved the other, and that the other loved them. And that confidence, that spark of love, would eventually save both of their lives. But that is a story for another time.

**Author's Note: THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER. I AM DONE WITH THIS STORY. If you want to know what happened when they saved each other's lives, read "Sincerely, Stuck in the Past" for your answers. Or if you just want more Rory B./James S. P. interaction, you can read that story too.**


End file.
